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Yang Juxiang and her daughter were quite proactive in offering help, which surprised everyone at the Han Family, as their behavior in previous days had been witnessed by all—they did nothing but eat and gossip with the villagers and disregarded all proper matters.

“Juhuang, you go rest,” Mrs. Yang said upon seeing Yang Juxiang and her daughter come to help, expressing some joy. “The few of us in-laws here are enough for these tasks.” Though there was happiness in her words, she knew this was their own affair, and while the work seemed easy, it was actually quite exhausting. Having a willing heart was enough; Mrs. Yang truly didn’t mean for her sister and niece to pitch in.

“Eldest Sister, listen to what you’re saying. How could we be so oblivious? Seeing all of you bustling about in the kitchen while we just sit around doesn’t sit right with us. Eldest Sister, you go and rest; you haven’t fully recovered from your injury. I’ll take over your work,” said Yang Juxiang.

Yang Juxiang always spoke sweet words outwardly, but if it were any other task, she wouldn’t be so willing to help. Steaming birthday packages was different—with so many trays to steam, who could complain about tasting one or two from each batch to check if they’re fully cooked? She had hardly had a full meal these past few days; not taking this opportunity to fill her stomach would be foolish. These were made with fine white flour, fragrant and soft, incomparable to the buns made from mixed grains.

“Yes, Aunt, you shouldn’t tire yourself out. I’ll help you too,” Jiang Chunlan said cheerfully, rolling up her sleeves to knead the dough with uniform force, skillfully changing its shape. Her adeptness was far more impressive than Su Wenyue’s, a clear indication of her familiarity with such work at home.

Hearing Yang Juxiang and her daughter talk this way, Mrs. Yang actually stopped working and handed over the job to Yang Juxiang. After all, they were already close sisters; making too much of a fuss over affairs would only alienate them.

“Fourth Daughter-in-law, you should take a break too. I see you struggling with kneading the dough, sweating on your forehead. You’re not used to this kind of work, and plunging into it so suddenly might overexert you. Tomorrow morning you’re bound to wake up with soreness and back pains.”

Over these days, Su Wenyue worked hard simmering soups and boiling medicinal tonics to take care of her mother-in-law, and her efforts were not in vain. The rare consideration Mrs. Yang showed to her daughter-in-law was something that simply would not have happened in the past.

Upon hearing Mrs. Yang’s words, Jiang Chunlan felt frustrated inside—so Su Wenyue couldn’t be tired, but she herself was destined to bear the brunt of the hardship!

Unable to contain her dissatisfaction, Jiang Chunlan let out her sour feelings: “Exactly, Fourth Cousin-in-law, you should rest right away. Your health is so precious, not at all like us with our tough skin and flesh, lest aunt becomes distressed. It’s different for people with good lives, isn’t it? Fourth Cousin-in-law, with a good family background and strong support from her mother’s family, is cherished even after marriage. Unlike us, I should really pray to the Bodhisattva at the temple to be reborn into a better life next time—that would be superior in every way!”

After Jiang Chunlan finished speaking, Yang Juxiang’s face darkened, and she slapped her daughter’s head: “You thoughtless girl, you haven’t figured out this life yet, and you’re already thinking about the next one. My doting on you all this time is wasted; you don’t remember any good!”

The sisters-in-law of the Han Family watched Yang Juxiang and her daughter share a laugh. With Mrs. Wang absent and Mrs. Liu now charmed by Su Wenyue, the sisters-in-law united as one, forming an exceptionally harmonious relationship.

Seeing her niece and the daughters-in-law getting along so well, Mrs. Yang’s heart felt much lighter. Even though she had initially taken her niece’s words to heart, the genuine familial atmosphere that now prevailed made her inadvertently break into a smile.

“Fourth Daughter-in-law, your mother-in-law is right. You’re not used to this kind of work; don’t exert yourself too suddenly, as it may tire you out. Tomorrow, we still have to go to their home, and those people you haven’t met, you don’t know—they all like to look down on others, and they enjoy humiliating us. We are bound to encounter a battle of wits and bravery. As someone smart and formidable, Fourth Daughter-in-law, our Second House has always been suppressed by them, unable to turn the tables. But this year, with you, it’s different. So you must not tire yourself out; I’m counting on you to stand up for our Second House. Your task now is to fully rejuvenate for tomorrow—don’t continue working!”

Mrs. Liu, unlike Mrs. Wang who was more scheming, had already favored Su Wenyue, having received many advantages from her, and hadn’t thought much further. In her view, fate was predetermined at birth, so why ponder more? Now that she relied on Su Wenyue to deal with the people from the Main House, she was even more diligent, practically treating her like royalty, revealing the resentment Mrs. Liu held against the Old lady of the Han Family and the Main House. Although they didn’t meet more than twice a year, the grudge persisted. Mrs. Liu wasn’t as revengeful as Mrs. Wang—she’d only been treated badly by the Main House people.

“Yes, Fourth Daughter-in-law, don’t bother yourself with this. You were never adept at these things. It’s enough for you to just guide us with your knowledge and smart ideas on how to do it better,” added Mrs. Li, and not that she was concerned about the Main House’s business but rather admired how clever the Fourth Daughter-in-law was. Her slight direction earlier had improved the birthday packages significantly, making them puff up softer and more fragrant, not turning yellow with a pudgy white bun that was pleasant to look at and would also save a lot of flour. Before, the amount of flour that could only make one birthday package could now almost make two.

However, did Mrs. Li have no complaints against the Old lady of the Han Family and the Main House? Not really. Being straightforward, she worked hard and didn’t confront others like Mrs. Liu with her explosive temper. At most, she suffered a few scorns and some harsh sarcasm from the old lady and Main House folks, but Mrs. Li wouldn’t retort. Seeing how honest she was, even they didn’t feel accomplished bullying her, eventually stopping their mistreatment. Thus, conflicts between Mrs. Li and the Main House were the least, and after all, she wasn’t the type to harbor grudges.

As for the improvement of the birthday packages, Su Wenyue wasn’t so benevolent to consider the Old lady of the Han Family and Main House’s well-being but because these packages came from their Second House, and the presentation reflected on them. Better appearance would credit their House, and the saving of flour was practical—older packages were tough and wasteful due to poor fermentation, so this was killing two birds with one stone.

Once the birthday packages were ready, they were packed one layer upon another into the clean big baskets prepared in advance. The afternoon passed this way, and everything was ready, just waiting to be delivered to the County Town early the next day. In the past, they had to rise before dawn for the trip to the city, as it was a yearly ritual since the ox cart lumbered slowly along, taking a lot of time on the road. But the good news was that Xiao Xi had returned just as twilight fell.

It was a welcome surprise. Having a horse carriage meant they didn’t need to trudge along with an ox cart anymore. The horse carriage was much faster, saving a lot of time on the road, and there was no need to wake up as early, which made Mrs. Yang and Mrs. Liu view it as a symbol of respectability, for in the County Town, only powerful and influential families could afford horse carriages.